Fossils from the Sun/Rambutan - Vertical [Tape Drift]

What's better than solo work from one Century Plants member? It's easy question. Duh. Solo work from both Century Plants members on the same tape and that's exactly what the Tape Drift label has delivered.
Fossils from the Sun (also known by his Christian name Ray Hare) fills out the first side with "Circle 3" further delving into his signature subterranean sonics. If I'm not mistaken Hare generally uses just a guitar as his sound source to create the microtonal swampscapes which is pretty rad. Maybe it's just cause I play guitar, but I'm interested in those who take a just a guitar and mold it into some unrecognizable sound concoction. There's a heavy murk that looms along with the track but underneath that constant dark cloud there's a slew of strange, garbled alien transmissions or something going on. It's quite an odd piece because it crawls along steadily with an elliptical rhythm and only very subtle changes; it sort of has the feel a groove turned to molasses. It's a strange trip indeed.
Rambutan (a.k.a. Tape Drift head Eric Hardiman) splits the last side into two pieces. "Alluvial" is even murkier than FftS's side and more distorted too. There's an easily detectable rhythmic figure in there but it's difficult to access through the gritty fuzz. An almost keyboard-like bit appears briefly before the track falls into a melodic grind and slowly drifts away. The second track is the one I'm really excited about though. I still feel like "Sideswept" is the best Rambutan piece yet made (that I've heard anyway.) A couple of delayed guitars roll in along with another percussive layer (possibly still a guitar) and set the room ablaze with their grooves. This is a serious, serious jam. Only the most adventurous DJs would throw this on in a club, but fuck man, this track belongs there or at some warped analog of a club anyway. After building the abstract, tumbling, airtight groove Hardiman expands it with manipulated vocal samples (I think) and siren-like guitar swells (I think.) Hardiman is definitely onto something really unique and interesting with this, and just something really fucking cool. A magnificent piece of work, I hope Rambutan continues to draw gold from this mine.
As far as I can tell Tape Drift is still in stock so pick this mofo up and dance yourself into a bleary haze.